Blyth apprentice up for award

James Willoughby

A business administration apprentice from Blyth who goes above and beyond has been shortlisted in the North East Employee of the Year Awards.

Matthew Fretwell, 20, was nominated by his employer MCR Marketing Services and shortlisted in the Apprentice of the Year category due to the high levels of commitment and enthusiasm he has brought to his role.

MCR Marketing Services is a family-run business whose specialist services include rework and inspection of goods, packaging, swatch and book making services for major high street retailers such as NEXT, John Lewis, and Harveys Furniture Store among others.

Matthew said: “I’m so pleased to be shortlisted for Apprentice of the Year. Having my hard work and effort recognised by both my employer and an external committee shows me that I must being doing something right and motivates me to keep working hard to develop myself and the business.

“I’m really grateful for the positive feedback I’ve had from some of our customers who provided testimonials to support my award application, it really makes me feel that they appreciate my hard work.”

Although Matthew is still completing his apprenticeship, the work he carries out is vital to the day-to-day running of the business. He oversees the entire operation and customer process from start to finish, ensuring service levels are maintained and that our customers receive the excellent standard of service they expect from MCR.

Caroline Moody, director of MCR Marketing Services, said: “In his short time with us Matthew has demonstrated an impressive commitment and determination to both the business and his own development that you wouldn’t expect from someone in their first role.

“I decided to nominate Matthew for the North East Employee Awards because he has proven himself to be an asset to MCR Marketing Services and is integral to the business achieving its goals.

“The fact that Matthew has been shortlisted in the Apprentice of the Year category is a great achievement and shows that people outside of the business can recognise what an extraordinary individual he is.”

The North East Employee of the Year Awards aim to recognise and celebrate the talent and wealth of employees across the region. The award ceremony is taking place tomorrow at Wynyard Hall, in County Durham, where Matthew will be celebrating his achievements with his colleagues and business associates.